EDITORIAL: Hiring plans positive signs for future of economy

A sure sign the economy is improving is when businesses announce plans to hire hundreds more workers.

Last week, Nissan announced it would be hiring 900 new workers at its Smyrna plant, which will push the total number there past 7,000. And this week, Taylor Farms, also in Smyrna, announced that it planned to invest $5.9 million to expand its facility and create 170 jobs there.

Nissan recently reeled in the Rogue to the roster of vehicles rolling out of the Smyrna plant and will begin production on it this fall. As a result, the plant will need more workers, which will be hired through Nissan contractor Yates Services and will pay $13.25 to $15.25 an hour. The jobs include assembly line and production, material handling, industrial maintenance, tool and die maker, and warehouse and production support positions.

Yates is currently hiring for nights, afternoons, weekends and rotating shifts for assembly production, material handling, maintenance, tool and die and warehouse support. Located at 1313 Old Fort Parkway, the Career Center only accepts Yates applications at 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Yates workers can also earn their way onto jobs with Nissan based on their performance and the number of years of service. Interested applicants should check www.nissan.jobs to learn about opportunities.

In October, the plant added 810 jobs as it moved to a third shift for the first time in its history.

At Taylor Farms, which is located on Swan Drive on former Sewart Air Base property, fresh-cut produce such as lettuce and salad blends, carrots, onions, tomatoes, apples, pineapples and squash are processed.

The expansion, which is still in the design process, will give the workers there (which include 650 full-time employees and 200 temps) more space just in time for the new positions to be hired on. The new jobs will pay $8 an hour. Some of the more skilled positions will pay $10 or $12 an hour.

Credit is due to the Town of Smyrna for a business-friendly philosophy and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce's economic development team, which began working with Taylor Farms a year ago on the expansion.

"The addition of these jobs is more evidence that we're doing the right things to continue to foster growth. It's an exciting time for Rutherford County," Chamber President Paul Latture said.

We couldn't agree more.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Email this article

EDITORIAL: Hiring plans positive signs for future of economy

A sure sign the economy is improving is when businesses announce plans to hire hundreds more workers.